This invention relates in general to food processing, and in particular relates to the cooking of food products.
Many food products such as potato chips and french fries are conventionally cooked by immersion in a vat of heated frying medium. In one method for processing potato chips paddle wheels are rotated in the vat for controlling the speed of product movement so that the cooking time in the medium is controlled. The operation of such conventional equipment presents a number of problems and limitations. For example, oil mist from the vat as well as steam is carried away through a stack with the result that a considerable amount of oil and heat energy is lost. In fact, positive steps were taken to prevent the oil mist from re-entering the vat with the thought of minimizing contamination of the vat contents by the free fatty acids of the mist. Therefore the operating cost is increased due to the lost oil and as well as the fuel which must be consumed for the equivalent amount of heat energy lost through the stack. The excess oil carried away through the stack also creates an air pollution problem. Moreover in the conventional cooking processes the presence of excess oxygen in the cooking chamber tends to degrade the frying medium and product quality. The processing methods employed with existing equipment also require a relatively high quality raw product to produce a suitable end product. In processing potato chips when potatoes with high sugar content are used the result is a dark or discolored end product. To reduce this discoloration the potato slices in many instances are blanched in hot water prior to frying to remove or reduce the sugar content. The need has therefore been recognized for food processing apparatus which will provide a solution to these problems.